Talk About Grace

Do you remember times when young children would literally fight over candy from a birthday party piñata? Or, when there was a community Easter Egg hunt and the children are grouped by age for this ‘rush’ to get eggs….even fighting over getting the most? Parents even have strategies to place their child where they can get eggs before other children ‘challenge’ them. 

Aren’t you glad that we don’t have to fight over God’s forgiveness? Ephesians 2:8 says “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” 

2 Corinthians 12:9a states “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (NLT)

Max Lucado recounted a story of a woman seriously injured when a teenager decided to pull a prank. She suffered greatly and was subjected to numerous surgeries. The teenager who instigated the accident finally stood in court with the victim. Many in the crowded courtroom expected the judge to really make an example out of this young man’s deliberate act. However, to everyone’s surprise, the sentence was extremely light. The victim had requested it. She said to the teen “I forgive you. I want your life to be the best it can be.” Wow, talk about grace. This woman surely ‘gave grace’.

Remember how Jesus surprised His disciples by washing their feet on the night before His betrayal? He did something that typically the lowest household servant would do, wash the feet of the guests. He is the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, and He stooped down to this lowly task! Why would He do that? It surely wasn’t just to get the disciples to be nicer to one another. No, His goal was to prepare them for their mission to serve. They are about to embark on a new phase where they will continue to serve God, serve each other and serving people to whom they took the Good News of Salvation.

Paul said it well in his letter to the Ephesians “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” Ephesians 1:7 (NLT)

We can ‘give grace’ by carefully helping another believer. Paul described it this way,  “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” 

Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT)

Finally, I believe Lucado said something very profound: “To accept grace is to accept the vow to give it.” Let’s go out and fulfill the vow we accepted!

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray